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Full Name:

Evan Morris

Display Name:

emorris

Location:

Chicago, Illinois

Bio:

As a child I was terrified of Fatz Geronimo,the keyboard player for the Showbiz Pizza band...The Rock-afire Explosion.
To this day if I see an animatronic gorilla playing the keyboard I will run the other way!

These are great! If you don't get the opportunities to speak at conferences or large events yet, see if you can find something on a smaller scale with marketing associations or the local chamber of commerce. For instance, my local chamber has Business 101 workshops throughout the year that cover a wide variety of business topics including social media, SEO, etc., and they are always looking for qualified people to lead these things. Chances are you are the best source for knowledge about SEO and online marketing in the area, and leading a seminar or workshop like that is sort of like speaking at a mini-conference! Check with local associations of the Chamber of Commerce and see if you can get involved in something like that.

On a separate note from the blog I wanted to say that the tools and other resources also add tremendous value for any SEO.

Rand...on another note. Just finished reading The Art of SEO. GREAT BOOK! It's hard to explain the value it will provide me in the future. There is no doubt that reading it has made me a better SEO. The amount of information in the book is rediculous and I know I will reference it religiously as I progress in my career.

I don't think anyone on this site is a mindless zombie that just does whatever a moz staff member tells them to, and I believe everyone is smart enough to know that not every post on here is 100% correct or has all the answers.

I feel like I am doing proper investigating and researching by reading the blogs on this site, because it is an authority site in SEO and Rand in particular is an authority figure. It's not the only blog I read and I try to test some of the ideas and some I just leave alone. ( Some are over my head )

"Just think what Rand could do with that kind of trust???"

What he does is write valuable content about SEO, and that is why people listen to what he says.

nicchenet, I wanted to tell you I liked your post the other day about using Twitter to find links. Since this post is about thumbing people and you are here I figured I would take this chance to give you the ol' thumbs up you deserve!

I'm going to admit something to all of you all today that may blow your minds...

RAND KNOWS MORE ABOUT SEO THAN I DO!

Now, maybe Sly is right and Rand doesnt' actually exsist and Rebecca is controlling the whole thing from a secret lair somewhere. In that case...

REBECCA KNOWS MORE ABOUT SEO THAN I DO!

The point is that I come here and read the blogs to learn stuff I don't know from people who are trusted in the industry. If Rand starts telling me the sky is green or that cucumbers taste better than pickles, I might give him a thumbs down.

Nice post Matt. Personally, I feel like the best practice at the beginning of a campaign, whether it be natural or paid, is to start broad and then work your way to more specific keywords. I completely understand what your saying, but it's impossible to hit the bullseye if you start at the bottom. I would rather cast a larger net and then, after testing and measurement, focus more on specific targets.

I guess the main reason for this is that we never really know where conversions or traffic are going to come from. I don't want to limit my reach at the start of a campaign.

These are two great resources that have literally changed the way I go about SEO. If any other newcomers reading this post haven't checked these out stop reading RIGHT NOW and check them out. They will make you a better SEO in minutes!!!

I was planning on using my elegant writing style, my humor, and my irresistible southern charm to write a comment that would knock your kneesockz off! ( get it? ) However, after reading through the other comments I have decided that many of the other mozzers deserve the PRO membership more than I do.

Lisa's Thoughts: Wow this is the most heroic, selfless, and noble act I've ever seen!

My Thoughts: I've already won!!!

Ok back to being serious. With the Presidents new stimulus package going into effect, I should start to see around 45 cents more on each paycheck. Also, I went to Denny's for their FREE Grand Slam the other day which hit the spot! So as you can see I am obviously "sitting pretty" as the kids say, and should be able to get my own PRO account in a few YEARS!

Instead of fighting for the prize I think I will just comment quickly on how I feel about SEOmoz, and more importantly, how I feel about you Lisa.

What sets SEOmoz apart is the passion Rand and the other moz staff have for what we do. It shows up in the tools they create and the posts they write on the blogs, and it is both refreshing and infectious. (hope that's spelled right?) This, in my opinion, is why they have built and maintain such a great community of SEO's. We work in an evolving industry and it is helpful to have a place like SEOmoz where new ideas and theories can be discussed and debated by some of the best in the business.

Lisa...let me start by saying that if heaven had a height you would be that tall. It's rare that beauty, humor, and intelligence comes in one package, but you seem to pull it off. God must have spent a little more time on you. (How's that for sucking up???)

So in conclusion I will not be joining all you PRO's in the prestigious members section, but I will keep reading, and learning, and eventually posting on the site.

This post was great! Driving tons of traffic to sites is pointless if the site isn't user friendly and relevant to what people are looking for. The goal is to maximize ROI and that is done by implementing a lot of the tips you've outlined here. February 26, 2009

Rand, this was a great post. My father has been in the newspaper industry for 30 years and I have been helping him move towards more of an online business model. The idea of linking away from his advertisers scares him a little, but I believe it creates a better overall user experience and your examples back me up. Thanks! February 25, 2009

Your right about that sly. I rely on numerous things to get me through the day that didn't exist 5 years ago. In all honesty I get excited about the future of search and technology in general, and am usually amazed at some of the capabilities we have at our disposal.

Please don't get down on me for defending Rebecca, who writes some of the most informative, insightful, and hilarious posts in the SEO community. Personally, I think the fact that moz employees notice issues like these in something as simple as seaching for a place to eat shows there intelligence on the subject. Then to share it with all of us in a way that is both informative and funny sums up what is great about this site.